Back Aboard Dilemma II

Seventeen years ago, a twenty mile long alien ship entered the terran solar system. It was cloaked and undetectable as it hid on the dark side of the earth's moon. It released yet another and smaller three mile long alien ship that entered the orbit of earth on earth's dark side. As it circled the earth it transported people from every continent on the face of the planet, as each one lay in their beds sleeping. From that night onward not only were they (no longer in Kansas any more, Dorothy) they were no longer at nor in their homes on Earth. After a meeting with an alien admiral of a united consortium of inhabited worlds, they were informed that they were, to make a long story short, contestants of a sort, brought aboard to be trained, providing that they could be trained, in one earthen year, to do battle with the twenty mile long ship that awaited in moon orbit. The prize to the winner would be the planet Earth itself. Thirteen other worlds had played the game and had lost. Robert Jackson and the rest of humanity on the tiny blue marble known as Earth would bend the rules and cheat the aliens out of the first battle that they had ever lost. Now thirteen years later, it might not be as easy, for Jackson and humanity, as it was the first time.
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Chapters:

After Davrina Adriakar had passed him his transcribe and vid-com
watch, Robert Jackson strapped the watch to his left wrist and
tucked the transcribe under his left arm before continuing to
follow the admiral, her sister, and the captain through a set of
oval shaped air lock doors and into one of the many corridors on
the ship. He continued onward without uttering so much as a
single word. A series of corridors and turbo shaft elevators
later, they rode a mono tram into the Round Forest Sciences
Section and descended one of the vine covered tram towers to the
grassy forest floor, still without uttering a single word.
Walking down a familiar rock inlaid pathway lined with trees,
shrubbery and flowers, they strolled across a vine covered arch
bridge and up onto the vine covered veranda of the galley that
sat over Round River where the four of them seated themselves at
a round table. The admiral sat with both arms on the table
holding her chin with both hands and gazed across at Robert
Jackson while both Davrina and Sathrana copied her.

"He'll never change." the admiral finally said, not releasing her
chin.

"He's still the same as far as I can remember." Davrina Adriakar
added as she looked over at Jackson without any show of emotion.

"Beyond the shadow of a doubt." Sathrana Celane inputted, also
showing no emotion.

"Ok. I know that the three of you didn't bring me all the way out
to the orbit of Mars just to talk about my brother David." Robert
Jackson told them as he slammed his transcribe down on the table
with his right hand.

The three of them then broke into laughter loud enough for
everyone in Round Forest to hear while Robert sat there shaking
his head in disbelief. Soon, though however, the laughter abated
and Davadra Adriakar became a little more civil, as did her
sister, and Sathrana.

"No, we didn't bring you all the way out here to talk about David
Jackson," Davadra Adriakar replied. "We haven't seen or heard
anything out of you for the past thirteen years." she told him as
they sat there.

"Nor I, any of you." Jackson told them.

"Well, we haven't always stayed within the confines of your solar
system, seeing as how your world isn't as advanced as ---"
Davrina Adriakar added and stopped herself short, seeing the look
that Robert was giving her.

"Anyway, my sister has become the newly elected president of the
United Galactic Consortium of Inhabited Worlds, and can not
always be at just anyone in particular's beck and call." she said
as Robert sat there for a moment, not quiet being able to get
over just how much she favored Patricia.

"By anyone in particular, I suppose that that would be me,"
Jackson said as his gaze was redirected over at Davadra Adriakar.

"Davadra, out on the shuttle deck, you whispered in my ear that
you're not entirely an admiral. Is it because of your being
elected to president of the Consortium?" he asked changing the
subject.

"For your ears only Robert," Davadra replied. "Present company
included of course, I am not an admiral, as we have led others to
believe. And, yes to your question, but, I don't want the crew to
know about it at this time."

"With Admiral Mazanurra on ice, who's left to lead us then?" he
asked as he looked out over Round River.

"That's one of the reasons why you are here, Admiral Jackson."
she answered him, watching as he nearly fell out of his chair.

"Now wait just a ... damned minute!" Jackson thundered as he
steadied himself.

"Hi-jacking me to the captaincy of this ship seventeen years ago
hurled the comet clear out of the solar system. I'll be the first
to tell you, right here, and right now, that this sends the comet
clear out of the galaxy. I will not accept a grade promotion to
the rank of the admiral of the galactic fleet!" Robert Jackson
fired away at the three of them as they listened to him.

"I played the part of your galactic hero for four years and what
about happened?" he paused for a few seconds before answering for
himself. "It about got me killed, Davadra!"

"Robert, no one else is as qualified for the position as are
you." Davadra told him.

"Bull shit, I haven't seen nor have I logged active duty aboard
the Orion in the past thirteen years!" Jackson uttered aloud, and
the three females just shrugged their shoulders to acknowledge
that they didn't understand the remark that he had made in anger.

"Slorpan Sliver shavrida!" he said, nodding his head yes, hoping
that they understood this time.

"That's gross." Davrina said, almost gagging.

"I decline the promotion, and that ... as they say ... is that.
No more discussion on the matter." he told them as he made ready
to leave for his quarters.

"And what is your other reason for not accepting promotion?"
Davadra asked, awaiting his answer.

"Well, to be honestly truthful with you," Jackson replied before
he went on. "The other reason is because of Valakadria
Tawn'spresent situation. What makes you think that I'm going to
be able to find out any more about her than you yourself? he
asked raising his voice an octive or two.

"And oh yes, Davrina, you can now lead me to my quarters,
Counselor Adriakar." Jackson finally ended as he arose up and out
of his chair.

"How did you know that I was assigned to be your personal
counselor?" Davrina asked as she too arose up from her chair
while Sathrana and Davadra remained seated.

"I just took a calculated guess that you were." Jackson answered
Davrina while he was turning to leave.

"Captain, Counselor, sit back down, and that's an order!" Davadra
said a bit forcefully and watched as the two of them quickly
retook their seats.

"As I told everyone earlier, and that includes you, Captain
Jackson, you will be granted and given the liberties and freedom
to traverse this ship as you have been brought up to date on your
duties and your responsibilities for which you have been brought
aboard." she bellowed, while watching the captain tap on his
hearing aid translator.

"You are refusing to cooperate with us." she further informed him
as the four of them sat there together.

"Robert, I may not be your commanding officer any longer, and
that's because no one has yet to fill that position, but I am the
president of the Consortium, and---

"You know Davadra," Jackson said as he sat there. I used to like
you a little bit, but your starting to get under my---

"I think that he still does." Sathrana said all of the sudden as
she had hoped to head off an oncoming fight between these two
friends.

"Most definitely." Davrina added as Davadra sat there shaking her
head and sighing heavily.

"Commander April to Admiral Adriakar," Donald April said as his
voice emitted from Davadra's wrist unit.

Thank you, thank you, she thought to herself, very thankful for
the interruption. "Yes Commander?" she replied instead.

"It seems as if we've brought a lot of hungry passengers aboard,'
he told her. "The bridge has been receiving a lot of complaints
from all over the ship, as well as threats of mutiny, Admiral."
April said as everyone listened.

"Led by my sister no doubt." Robert Jackson said to himself.

Davadra raised her arm to within inches of her mouth and began
speaking into her vid-com watch.

"This is Admiral Adriakar to all ship's counselors. The galleys
will reopen in half an hour. At this time liberties and freedom
to traverse the ship will be to the galleys only, Adriakar out,"
she said lowering her arm back to the table.

"Well, as long as we're already here, I may as well grab a late
evening snack." Jackson said as the galley lights brightened
inside.

"Captain, Valakadria is thought to have defected with almost a
third of the Zaleen fleet on her side." Davadra said as she
looked over at Robert.

"A third of the Zaleen fleet in the Glammadren system!" Jackson
thundered, throwing his chair back and standing back up on his
feet. "You sure as hell know how to ruin someone's appetite!"

"I did mention that they were on Valakadria's side, didn't I?"
Davadra replied, noticing the evil squint of his eyes

"Why she could destroy and dominate our galaxy with a third of
the Zaleen fleet!" Jackson boomed aloud.

"And Donald did say earlier that her mother had passed on."he
said while rubbing his chin with his left hand.

"Hells bells!" he stormed. "Now that Valakadria Tawn is the queen
bee, she could wipe us off the star charts."

"That's why I've requested that only her ship be allowed to
rendezvous with us in the orbit of the planet Glammadren. This
way we might get to the bottom of things." she told him.

"All it takes is but one Zaleen battle crusier destroyer to ...
well, destroy us, Madam President of the Consortium!" Jackson
bellowed at Davadra Adriakar.

"And now, for the part that I know your still not going to like,"
she said rather than to bellow back at him.

"She's expecting the admiral of the galactic fleet to be there
with us when we meet with her. Robert, I most assuredly do not
believe that any one other than you will be able to find out what
my half sister's intentions are at this point in time." Davadra
said, having laid all of her cards on the table.

"Oh really now! " was all that Jackson replied at that moment.

"So, how does it feel to be the captain of the Orion, Sathrana?"
he asked while crewmembers began filling Round Forest with their
presence.

"Donald April referred to himself as the XO of this ship when he
hailed Davadra from the bridge earlier, so the new CO has to be
you." Robert added.

"You're right Admiral," Sathrana Celane replied. "I'm the captain
of the Orion now, sir, and it's an honor to be in command of the
Consortium flagship." she informed him, knowing that he hadn't
accepted the promotion.

An admiral does have certain advantages that a captain doesn't.
Jackson thought.

"Alright Davadra, as long as the Zaleens pose us a threat and not
a minute longer, I'll accept the promotion. After that, another
admiral with more experience will have to fill Kondulon
Mazanurra's position, should I have to travel to the far ends of
the galaxy and find him, she, or it, by myself." Robert stated
the facts to them as he turned to enter the galley.